EDC to aid PET bottle-maker in shift to use of renewables

BY LENIE LECTURA – JANUARY 10, 2023
from Business Mirror

PET bottles manufacturer McBride Corp., has tapped the Energy Development Corp. (EDC) to supply power to its two facilities in Caloocan.

McBride said it would shift to renewable energy for its entire 1.39-megawatt (MW) power demand after it declared to reduce its carbon footprint by 25 percent in 2023.

“In line with our green goal, McBride is really looking for a partner that has the same mission and care for the environment,” McBride Corp. President Harvey S. Keh said. “We actually want to slowly shift to the use of renewable energy, especially considering our present situation.”

This move to shift to green McBride provides high quality plastic packaging to various fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturers in the Asean region.

Aware of the impact of plastics to the environment, the company is taking great strides to reduce this through various measures such as implementing proper waste segregation and disposal and energy conservation. This latest move to fully shift to renewable energy will help McBride reduce its carbon footprint by 7,231 tonnes per carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) each year. The company likewise plans to set up a PET bottle recycling facility to further reduce its carbon footprint and hopes that First Gen will also be able to power it with 100 percent RE.

EDC will source power from its geothermal power plants.

Geothermal energy is considered the “Holy Grail” of RE technologies because–unlike other RE sources–it  can provide uninterrupted, year-round baseload power, rain or shine. Thus, it is referred to by the company as Geo 24/7.   EDC is a unit of Lopez-led First Gen Corp.

“We are more than glad to be a part of McBride’s decarbonization journey by helping them reduce their carbon footprint even as they continue to grow their business through our reliable source of 100 percent clean and green power,” said Carlo Vega, vice president and head of First Gen’s power marketing, trading and economics.